You need to strive very arduous to discover a lack of issues to do in Salento, Colombia.
Perched on a plateau overlooking the verdant Quindio River Valley Salento is awash with vibrant coloration, tradition, and pure magnificence. And naturally, there are many issues to do in Salento for nearly any type of traveler.
Salento is undeniably lovely. This colonial Colombian city has retained a lot of its old-world attraction, and serves as a portal to a different time, one other lifestyle. Salento’s colourful paisa structure mixes with a distinctly laid-back lifestyle that solely a small city can elicit, creating the feeling of visiting the previous. And that’s simply contained in the city itself.
Stroll half a kilometer away from the middle, end up on a winding grime highway, and inhale the various scents of Salento. Dew on lush grassy pastures, earthy musk of fertile soil, cows, horses, and canines going about life because the morning mist slowly burns away underneath the embrace of the solar.
Salento feels extra than simply vibrant; it actually thrums with life.
The small city has lengthy been a common vacation spot for vacationing Colombians, and its reputation with worldwide vacationers is on the rise. Regardless of internet hosting rising quantities of vacationer visitors, Salento nonetheless feels real. Genuine, if we dare use that overly used phrase.
Whereas backpacking our method throughout Colombia for 3 months final 12 months we have been uncovered to the gorgeous, and diversified, fantastic thing about the nation. Whereas we had a good time exploring Colombia’s cities, it was its small cities that we really fell in love with. Every one felt distinct, every one uncovered us slightly bit extra to a beautiful tradition and its smiling folks, and every one carved a particular place in our hearts. We stayed in Salento for every week, and we might have stayed longer had time allowed.
Based mostly on our time there we determined to write down up a small record of important actions to partake in when visiting Salento. If in case you have time we advise staying for no less than three days. And if you’re in a rush…properly, simply attempt to cram as a lot of the beneath record into your itinerary as you may. Joyful trails!
Issues to do in Salento
Discover the Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley)
In case you are visiting Salento for under a few days, you should completely take a type of days to discover the Cocora Valley. In truth, if you’re heading to Salento, you in all probability already know this. The valley tops the record of issues to do in Salento, and any traveler can be remiss to not go to it.
A part of the Los Nevados Nationwide Pure Park, the Cocora Valley is the first location of the distinctive Quindío wax palm, which is Colombia’s nationwide tree. It additionally occurs to be the tallest palm tree identified to man. Which in all probability makes it the tallest palm tree, interval, until there are palm timber rising on one in every of Saturn’s moons. However we digress.
Actions in and across the Cocora Valley run a full gamut of journey sports activities. There are a selection of mountaineering and tenting alternatives within the valley, and within the surrounding Los Nevados Nationwide Pure Park. You too can indulge in some chook watching, mountain biking, rafting, and normal revelry of the emerald magnificence that’s the Cocora Valley.
Nature lovers ought to plan on staying in Salento longer than a few days. You WILL be utterly smitten, we promise you.
Take within the View From El Mirador
The phrase mirador is Spanish for balcony with a commanding view, or a lookout level. There are numerous miradors all through Colombia, and a whole lot of them provide spectacular sights. Few that we encountered, nevertheless, afforded a view as transfixing and fascinating because the mirador in Salento.
Should you look intently on the above picture you will note a river, the Rio Quindio, close to the underside heart. Comply with that river to achieve the depths of the wondrous Cocora Valley.
If you end up carried out with views hike up on the little hill to the precise of the mirador, and hang around with the locals on swing units as you drink a chilly beverage and take within the view from the reverse aspect of the valley. You should have a candy vantage level above the city itself, and the rolling verdant horizon past it. Should you go to within the late afternoon strive to soak up a sundown from this spot. You gained’t remorse it!
Play Tejo
Tejo is a standard Colombian sport with roots courting again centuries. Nobody is aware of simply how previous the sport is precisely, its origin is just not documented. Be that as it could, Tejo is fairly darn common in Colombia.
One of many guidelines of Tejo is that it have to be performed whereas ingesting beer. That’s all we wanted to listen to earlier than signing up for our first Tejo match at Beta City in Salento. Seems, Tejo is just about like horseshoes…besides with gunpowder. That’s proper, issues (kind of) explode throughout a sport of Tejo. Cool!
So the tremendous simplified guidelines of the sport are as follows. You open a can/bottle of beer. You then try and throw a steel puck, which known as a tejo, down a slim lane to hit a small pouch of gunpowder which is positioned on a steel ring located in the midst of a field of clay. Hit a pouch with the steel puck, the pouch goes growth, and also you get some factors. There may be much more to the sport than that, however you get the gist.
So, when in Salento, head to Beta City, purchase a bucket of chilly beer, and blow up some gunpowder. It’ll be enjoyable, and it’s an effective way to spend a few hours within the night if you’re on the lookout for issues to do in Salento!
Take a Espresso Plantation Tour
Salento is situated in what is named the Zona Cafetera, the area of Colombia that’s well-known for rising extremely top quality and scrumptious espresso. When on the town take a taxi, bus, bike, (or higher but) stroll (as we did) just a few kilometers exterior of city to Finca El Ocaso the place you may see first hand how espresso is grown, harvested, processed, and brewed.
You is likely to be stunned by what you study. For instance, do you know that espresso grows on lovely flowering bushes? Do you know that espresso seeds are inexperienced and develop inside berries that flip vibrant pink after they’re ripe? We certain didn’t.
The informative, hour lengthy tour of the plantation takes you thru the method of rising and harvesting espresso. You will note how the beans are ready as soon as harvested. The tour ends with a lesson on methods to brew espresso within the conventional Colombian method and, in fact, everybody will get good sizzling cup of java to pattern.
So when in Salento tour a espresso plantation. You’ll glean a good measure of perception into the method of rising and harvesting espresso. You’ll even have an opportunity to pattern insanely contemporary grinds on the tail finish of your tour.
Taking a espresso tour in Salento is an expertise that shouldn’t be handed up, no matter your stance on espresso. That is, for sure, one of many issues it is best to do in Salento.
Individuals Watch in Salento’s City Sq.
One of many issues we love most about small cities is how intently they’ll join you to the tradition of no matter nation you might be visiting. Huge cities, by and huge, are inclined to dilute native tradition and customs; crammed with commercialism, enterprise, and busy busy folks as they’re.
Colombia is fairly laid-back, besides its cities are fairly chaotic. Issues get misplaced within the shuffle. It’s in Colombia’s small cities that the really vibrant and pleasant nature of the nation shines by way of.
Individuals-watching in Salento’s city sq. was one in every of our favourite actions. You possibly can see on a regular basis life unfold right here. Distributors promoting native meals, youngsters flirting with each other, kids enjoying, adults taking a breath to calm down and let the time move.
Salento’s sq. is small, however vibrant, and we extremely advocate taking a while to sit down right here and simply be. And after getting sat lengthy sufficient, and maybe labored up an urge for food, you may go for a espresso in one of many quite a few cafes inside straightforward strolling distance. Or have meal on the many eating places. Order the fried native trout and a typical plate of rice, beans, plantains, and salad. It’s freaking scrumptious!
We hope you’ve given you some tips on what to do in Salento throughout your go to. And we hope you get to take pleasure in this unbelievable city as a lot as we did. As at all times cheers and protected travels everybody!
The place to Keep in Salento, Colombia
La Serrana Hostel
La Serrana Hostel sits atop a 20 hectare farm amongst vivid inexperienced pastures a couple of 30 minute stroll exterior of the city heart.
The hostel, with its a number of frequent areas, homes, and rooms, has a pleasant communal and inclusive really feel. Rooms are clear, comfy, and properly appointed, every with their very own ensuite lavatory.
The hostel gives a mess of actions like mountain biking, mountain climbing, espresso excursions, and trekking. There’s even a popcorn machine for visitors!
With it’s peaceable and tranquil location, lovely decor, pleasant workers, and a great deal of actions and socializing opportunites, La Serrana is our prime choose as the most effective hostel in Salento. Palms down.
Click on right here for critiques, extra data, or to e-book a room or dorm mattress at La Serrana Hostel.
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